Debbie Allen Describes Changes She Made After Season 1 of “A Different World” That Made Show More Successful
Debbie Allen Describes Changes She Made After Season 1 of “A Different World” That Made Show More Successful
Angela AndaloroTue, June 30, 2026 at 9:10 PM UTC
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Dawnn Lewis, Daryl M. Bell, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Debbie Allen on the set of "A Different World," in 1989Credit: James Anderson Jr./Getty -
Bill Cosby hired Debbie Allen, sister of Phylicia Rashad, as the chief creative director on the second season of A Different World after feedback indicated the series didn't feel reflective of HBCU experiences
In a 2011 interview, Allen recalls assessing and adding to her young, creative cast and understanding the stories they were capable of telling
Allen continues her work with the A Different World sequel series, set to debut this fall on Netflix
Debbie Allen put serious thought into the changes she could make to A Different World.
The creative, 76, was brought on board in the show's second season to help revamp storylines so they better addressed what was really happening on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country.
In a 2011 interview with the Television Academy, Allen explained, "The first thing I did was really try to communicate to the writers that we needed to connect with the actors and vice versa, because that was the missing link."
Allen reasoned that the change could help bridge that gap, but she noted, "That was not an easy take because when I came on, there were people that were... you know, I sat down with a fellow executive and he was telling me, 'Well, I want to bring in this person to direct and that person, and I want to do this, and I want to do that,' and I was like, 'Sorry, but I'm going to be directing every episode.' "
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Allen noted, "It was really [Bill Cosby]'s idea for me to be hands-on all the way, so it was. I didn't want to relieve anybody of their jobs and their ability to help. Let's solve this problem together, but it was a bit of rearranging for them to understand who I really was and what my task was going to be and that I really had the authority to do whatever."
Brought on as the chief creative officer, Allen's next order of business was to eliminate "a lot of foolishness."
"I'm all for laughter and buffoonery is okay, but to an end. What is it about? We don't have time to do an episode at a Black university where their assignment is to take care of an egg. No. We're dealing with serious issues out here, between education, poverty, joblessness, pregnancy, drugs, gangs. We have a lot of issues."
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Another gap that Allen noticed was that "There was no fraternity life," explaining, "I mean, how do you do a historically Black college and you don't have fraternities and sororities, stomping around? That's not even real."
Darryl M. Bell, Lisa Bonet, Dawnn Lewis, Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Debbie Allen, Cree Summer and Sinbad of "A Different World," 2006Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc for Nickelodeon Television
Allen's solution was to reassess how the existing cast was being used, as well as bring on new characters.
"How do we use Sinbad? How do we use him? How do we use the Jaleesa character? Jalissa is the older student and she needs to show more maturity. I wanted to change how she looked. Her dresses were too short, too many fingernails, too much hair weave," she explained.
"Then, I found Cree Summers. I found Charnelle Brown. I wanted to find, who is the young Whoopi Goldberg on the show already? We had Kadeem [Hardison] and Daryl Bell and Jasmine Guy. I had brought her to Los Angeles in Fame. She was my baby from Fame and when they put her on the show, I was like, 'Oh Lord, they're getting ready to find out,' and she was such a dynamic character. But how do we use these stories?"
Whoopi Goldberg with the cast of 'A Different World' in 2024Credit: ABC/LOU ROCCO
She concluded, "My edict for myself was to make it relevant, make it cultural and just go deeper with the characters and see what's going on behind the masks."
Debbie Allen continues her work in the Hillman universe with the upcoming A Different World sequel series, which will debut this fall. She will serve as director and executive producer.
The original show aired from 1987 to 1993 for six seasons, and the sequel series to the sitcom would center on Deborah Wayne, the youngest daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert. Deadline has confirmed that Guy, Hardison, Summer and Bell all plan to return to the spinoff to reprise their characters.
The newest class at Hillman also includes Alijah Kai as Rashida, Chibuikem Uche as Kojo, Cornell Young IV as Shaquille, Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir, and Kennedi Reece as Hazel.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
